Then an electrical technician, Cassagnes came upon the Etch A Sketch idea in the late 1950s when he peeled a translucent decal from a light switch plate and found pencil mark images transferred to the opposite face, the Toy Industry Association said.

NPR: Inventor Of Etch A Sketch Dies In France At 86

Mr. Cassagnes, an electrical technician, came upon the Etch A Sketch idea in the late 1950s when he peeled a translucent decal from a light switchplate and found pencil-mark images transferred to the opposite face, the Toy Industry Association said.

WSJ: Etch A Sketch Inventor Dies at 86